For all you stack and mem deck users out there, a simple poll. Can you state which stack(s)/ mem deck(s) you use, and I'll tally up the results :)

If you use more than one then please list all that you use. Doesn't matter for this poll exactly how you define a stack/ mem-deck, so whether you use Si Stebbins, or Aronson, NDO, or Sam the Bellhop, just note it. If you use one of your own creation, whether a shuffled and memorised deck, or one with more thought in it, just refer to it as 'own deck'.

If there is more than one variation of a stack could you please specify the version? So, for example, Si Stebbins can come in a variety of forms: 3 or 4; Chased or Shocked; regular or pro, etc. If you've tweaked an established set-up you can note that also.

I think that's it for me...most of the time I am using Mnemonica or Si Stebbins, depending on the set. Now that I've discovered there's a way to get to Aronson from NDO, I'm excited about the ability to access Mnemonica, Stay Stack, Si Stebbins, and Aronson all through the NDO link by shuffling and culling. I much prefer to shuffle into a stack, even prior to performance, than to set the stack card by card. I even once timed myself to compare, and realized that I could shuffle from NDO into any of these stacks in 30s to 1 min vs. 2-3 min to stack the cards from NDO or a shuffled deck card by card. If you're stacking the deck quite often, those time savings add up!

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Posted by: Pasteboard Alchemist (Oct 30, 2014 11:37AM)

I currently use:
- Stay Stack (on the way from NDO to Woody or Tamariz's stack, or from this stacks heading back towards NDO)
- Woody Aragon's Stack (which I transition to/from Mnemonica)
- Mnemonica (my primary worker)
- Luke Jermay's Story Deck

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Posted by: sgtgrey (Oct 30, 2014 12:00PM)

Oh! Speaking of Woody reminds me I forgot to mention that I use two trick-specific stacks of his - one for routined spelling and one for a poker demonstration - from time to time. Thanks for that reminder! :)

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Posted by: LesL (Oct 30, 2014 12:31PM)

Si Stebbins
Osterlind BCS
Sam the Bell Hop
Nyman's "The Code" which is a hybrid gaff and stack deck.

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Posted by: JBSmith1978 (Oct 30, 2014 03:18PM)

Mnemonica.

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Posted by: landmark (Oct 30, 2014 05:09PM)

Aronson--primary
Si Stebbins

Played around with Osterlind BCS and Doug Dyment's Quickstack.

And recently been introduced to Greg Chapman's stack...

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Posted by: Tim Cavendish (Oct 30, 2014 06:05PM)

Aronson.

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Posted by: minty (Oct 30, 2014 06:38PM)

Osterlind BCS.

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Posted by: Cain (Oct 30, 2014 07:11PM)

Stay-stack similar to Mnemonica (basically four faros from a slightly modified NDO).

Previous stacks:
For a few years I used a stack that was NDO given five faros (which Michael Skinner discusses in CLASSIC SAMPLER).
I initially set out to memorize Aronson, but then I read the above-mentioned Skinner book.

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Posted by: Zack_Johnston (Oct 30, 2014 09:25PM)

Mnemonica (Tamariz): Primary use

NDO: Occasional use

Memorized BCS (Osterlind): Occasional use

My own stack: Occasional use

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Posted by: Terrible Wizard (Oct 31, 2014 03:53AM)

Thanks ... Keep them coming guys and I'll tally.

I'm genuinely surprised that so many seem to use multiple stacks! I thought most would use just one or two, really.

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Posted by: tomboston (Oct 31, 2014 04:04AM)

Mnemonica.

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Posted by: ddyment (Oct 31, 2014 01:59PM)

My three ...

Sequential stack: DAO

Memorized stack: QuickerStack

Zener symbol stack: Zenith

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Posted by: lcwright1964 (Oct 31, 2014 07:36PM)

Mnemonica memorized
Aronson not memorized for tricks not needing memorization (i.e., the last section of Try the Impossible, some of Eric Richardson's creations)
Si Stebbins or 8K where the symmetry of a rosary stack required. May or may not obscure the suit order with the "shift forward for A-2-3-4" device given by Simon Aronson in The Aronson Approach.
Aronson's Simon-Eyes stack (The Aronson Approach) for, obviously Simon-Eyes. Also perfectly suited to other tricks using a Si Stebbins or 8K (it is simply another rosary stack).

Have also used Osterlind BCS (not memorized), but can't think of anything to do with it which can't be done with Mnemonica.

Next project is to memorized Aronson as well as I know Mnemonica. I think it is perfectly feasible to memorize more than one stack and keep them straight.

Understandably so. Greg (chappy) Chapman's stack is specifically designed for those who do gambling type material. It's got two built-in Texas Hold'em hands, and a myriad of ways to get to three and four of a kind. It's got some non-gambling features as well. I predict that a certain type of magician will be making it his or her secondary stack, with some even making it their primary one. Like Aronson and Mnemonica, a face-up spread reveals nothing.

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Posted by: bartleby (Nov 1, 2014 07:47PM)

I am new to this and have not performed in public so I don't know if I count but I have been using the 8 Kings stack exclusively for my little circle.

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Posted by: landmark (Nov 1, 2014 08:16PM)

Of course you count, bartleby! Welcome.

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Posted by: Nick Pudar (Nov 1, 2014 10:25PM)

Aronson
My own stack
Si Stebbins for a couple tricks that rely on it

Nick

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Posted by: Terrible Wizard (Nov 2, 2014 02:49AM)

If I discount stacks that have only been tried, just introduced to, or considered, then I think the tally so far is (please correct me if wrong):

Greg's stack will be published in his forthcoming book [i]The Devil's Staircase.[/i] I believe there's a thread elsewhere in this section talking about it.

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Posted by: civins (Dec 29, 2014 11:10AM)

I use stebbins.

Bought aronsons bounds to please. But never got round to memorising.

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Posted by: Waterloophai (Dec 29, 2014 12:36PM)

Maigret stack

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Posted by: Remillard (Dec 29, 2014 05:38PM)

Mnemonica

Notice that you're not counting the votes for Sam The Bellhop.

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Posted by: Remillard (Dec 29, 2014 05:41PM)

Whoops. My bad. Just realized that you had shortened the name of Sam the Bellhop in the list. I use it occasionally. Sure it's a one trick pony ( no pun intended) but it's amazing how much people flip over a few false shuffles and cuts.

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Posted by: Joey_Z (Dec 29, 2014 07:27PM)

Mnemonica (or at least working on it)

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Posted by: dykstraj99 (Dec 29, 2014 09:34PM)

Mnemonica

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Posted by: Shadowstalker (Dec 30, 2014 01:17AM)

I used osterlinds BCS,
but will convert to mnemonica

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Posted by: The_MetalMaster (Dec 30, 2014 10:35AM)

Aronson

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Posted by: MScapes (Jan 1, 2015 10:32AM)

Mnemonica

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Posted by: magicfish (Jan 1, 2015 11:02AM)

Osterlind

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Posted by: J-L Sparrow (Jan 1, 2015 11:19AM)

As for me, what first got me hooked on stacks was the basic Si Stebbins stack (CHaSeD order) that I found in a library book. I still use it at times when I perform a trick that works perfectly well with the Si Stebbins stack, but I've abandoned CHaSeD order in favor of SHoCkeD order, which makes a lot more sense to me.

When I discovered Richard Osterlind's BCS I immediately fell in love with it and used it whenever I could. I eventually switched over to Doug Dyment's DAO stack. However, later I memorized the BCS (making it MBCS for me), so now BCS has once again become my main non-Si-Stebbins-like stack.

As for memorized deck work, my first true memorized deck was Joyal SHoCkeD (after trying to learn the Nikola stack and subsequently giving up). Then I learned and dabbled a bit with Doug Dyment's QuickerStack (which I still use every once in a while). Some time later I was inspired by Martin Joyal's work to create my own stack, and soon after that I memorized Osterlind's BCS/MBCS stack (as I mentioned above) which is now my main memdeck.

To summarize:

For non-memdeck work, I use the BCS, with occasional use of the traditional Si Stebbins stack in SHoCkeD order.

For memdeck work, I use the MBCS (the Memorized Breakthrough Card System).

Overall, if I had to pick just one, I would say I use Osterlind's MBCS stack.

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Posted by: dannywu (Jan 2, 2015 10:19AM)

Mnemonica

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Posted by: KLG (Jan 21, 2015 05:28AM)

Mnemonica. Studying Woody Aragon's now. Will probably use both.

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Posted by: robinr (Jan 27, 2015 05:32PM)

I use a stack of my own which was inspired by Doug Dyment's "Quikstack." Karl Fulves published it in "Prolix #8." Many of the classic Si Stebbins quick ways to know how many cards are removed from the deck also work with this (as they would with Doug's stack). I find that combination together with knowing where any card is in the deck (and vice versa), makes a nice combination.

I've used almost all the simple cyclical stacks at one time or another for particular situations. Lately I often use a version of Docc Hilford's "Syndrome" deck using "8 Kings". This is very nice as the deck can be both riffle-shuffled (face-up) and overhand-shuffled (face-down), without ruining the way the deck works. Of course, this is not a true memorized deck.

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Posted by: george1953 (Jan 27, 2015 06:59PM)

Richar Osterlinds breakthrough card system.

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Posted by: mbwambwa (Jan 29, 2015 05:24PM)

I only use Si Stebbims (learning the Aronson stack now).

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Posted by: TazBo (Feb 23, 2015 06:12PM)

Mnemonica

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Posted by: Jerry (Feb 26, 2015 06:11PM)

Mnemonica
BCS (Ostelind)

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Posted by: dylanxtay (Feb 26, 2015 07:28PM)

Mnemonica
Kindergarten Stack (Michael Weber)

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Posted by: silvercup (Feb 27, 2015 10:41AM)

Aronson.

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Posted by: Rogerbest (Feb 27, 2015 04:05PM)

Joyal stack with some minor variations.

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Posted by: stickmondoo (Apr 1, 2015 06:24AM)

I use Mnemonica mainly.
Sometimes Si Stebbins 3 or 4
When King Jack Stack (I think I found this in a Jack Kent Tiller book) suits change red red black black on A 2 3 4 so it looks random
Use stay stack a lot in full deck and small packet effects
At the moment though, a stack which I am playing with and is just great is one I found in Woody Aragons Book in English. It's a stay stack Memorized ESP deck that can be fairly shuffled dealt and cut, but remains in perfect order. It's pretty astounding as are all the routines in that great book.
Who killed Lilly Long Legs by Simon Lovell
Perfect from Mr Bannons new book Zero
1-0-1 deck
Total Surrender stack from Art Decko
I am thinking of using Square Deal stack from same book too.
Half of Lennart Greens Recycling Poker Stack
Higgledy Piggledy Poker stack (my name, original is in Appocalypse, but my Memory not too good. Similar recycling poker stack but with three rounds of dealing getting progressively better. Think it might be called progressive poker or something like that. Great stack.
Big Deal by Joshua Jay
I like stacks

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Posted by: J Christensen (Apr 2, 2015 06:13AM)

Aronson, since 1979.

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Posted by: Melies (Apr 8, 2015 09:06PM)

Stebbins

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Posted by: konstant (Apr 9, 2015 11:03AM)

Mnemonica.
I always try to left prepared the stack when I finish training. It is my last job of every day.

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Posted by: stickmondoo (Apr 10, 2015 11:39AM)

I am going to put another vote in for the Dao stack. If you just need a rotational stack it's fantastic. Only started working with it this week. Much more random than Si Stebbins and Eight Kings, but just as easy to work out which card is next. I like it a lot.

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Posted by: BarryFernelius (Apr 10, 2015 12:30PM)

Joyal Stack (SHoCkeD)
Si Stebbins (3, CHaSeD)

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Posted by: Stanyon (Apr 16, 2015 08:35PM)

Stebbins from NDO.

Cheers! ;)

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Posted by: RogerTheShrubber (Apr 17, 2015 12:42PM)

I haven't done much with stacks, and until a under a year ago Eight Kings, Nikola and Si Stebbins were the only ones I even knew (with Eight Kings being the only one I've ever done a trick with for others). Lately I've become more interested in stacks, though, so for voting purposes count me down for Joyal and Aronson.

This thread, however, has strongly encouraged me to give Mnenomica a test drive.

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Posted by: THECLAW (Apr 22, 2015 07:59AM)

Dyments Quicker Stack - the best
Si Stebbins with the Darwin Ortiz Shuffle

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Posted by: superej68 (May 11, 2015 05:06PM)

Mnemonica from ndo, sometimes ndo

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Posted by: Chris.Z (May 22, 2015 11:36PM)

I am currently learning Tom Crosbies Shadow Stack.

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Posted by: Tom Cutts (May 27, 2015 05:27PM)

When I use a stack it's The Aronson Stack. I like refreshing my mind on it to bring it up to performance levels. It's the first I learned so it's stuck in there. :P

Simon has some nice insights and tips in a free download called [url=https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-downloads/free-magic-downloads/memories-are-made-of-this/]Memeories Are Made of This[/url] from Vanishing Inc. Follow that link and get it for free.

I'm quite surprised by some of the results. I fully expected Mmemonica and Aronson to be top, but the popularity gap between the top few and the rest is very high. Also, I didn't realise there were so many stacks - quite a few I never heard of! And I'm surprised that so many use their own stack. Also, a little surprised how few bother with Nikola - I guess it had been surpassed.

Anyone else surprised at any of the results?

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Posted by: TazBo (Sep 13, 2015 05:10AM)

This poll has been going for a year now, and what I am surprised at is, either there isn't that many magicians using stacks or that they haven't seen this poll.

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Posted by: Cohiba (Sep 13, 2015 01:56PM)

Thought I had responded...

I started with Aronson, but now use my own stack.

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Posted by: bud.scott (Oct 2, 2015 10:27PM)

Mnemonica

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Posted by: esmerdon (Oct 3, 2015 08:07AM)

Learning Mnemonica now

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Posted by: Zipposrsa (Dec 4, 2015 11:35AM)

Not sure if you are still polling - Mnemonica (I am guily of being a Tamariz fan though)

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Posted by: rapmr (Dec 4, 2015 04:20PM)

Mnemonica (learning stages)

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Posted by: Geeraff12 (Dec 5, 2015 06:11PM)

Mnemonica, NDO, Stebbins 3 C, own.

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Posted by: Ferry Gerats (Dec 5, 2015 11:38PM)

My own stack

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Posted by: RiderBacks (Dec 6, 2015 12:03AM)

The only stack I know is the Aronson. Not sure I want to vote, though, I'm happy with the research I did before picking the Aronson stack. And since I've learned it, I thought I might as well comment. Still working on speeding up recall. It'll probably be another two months before I start getting serious with it. At this point, if you give me one to two minutes, I can write down every card at its proper position, but that's not quite enough.

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Posted by: H2Odesign (Jan 5, 2016 06:33PM)

Aronson all the way (although I'm finally getting down to learning Mnemonica)

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Posted by: Uli Weigel (Jan 6, 2016 08:03AM)

Mnemonica
Si Stebbins (for one trick, that can't be done with a memorized deck)

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Posted by: Chano (Jan 6, 2016 11:03AM)

I use Osterlind's BCS.

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Posted by: doriancaudal (Jan 7, 2016 07:10AM)

Isis

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Posted by: ymumagic (Jan 11, 2016 04:01PM)

Mnemonica only

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Posted by: Duoquadragesimus (Feb 21, 2016 08:24AM)

I love Mnemonica, but I also use regular Si Stebbins occasionally.

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Posted by: marc_carrion (Feb 21, 2016 11:27AM)

Mnemonica and Si Stebbins here too

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Posted by: IMAGINACIAN (Feb 29, 2016 06:49AM)

Is stack magic not so popular ? Anyone seeing this thread may have to believe so. Out of over 60k Café members, only about 100 respond about their stacks - that too in about 2 years. Or am I missing something ? However, this thread is a great effort.

I have been with 8 Kings & Stebbins all these years. But now trying to look around and pick up another one.

Si Stebbins, in CHaSeD order. I only use it for a couple of tricks, but after learning how to determine the position of any card named, it's become kind of a fun thing to practice. Not that it'll ever be automatic (the math's not that hard, but still requires too much thought for me at the moment). Learning another stack would probably be easier in the long run (and much handier for more effects, probably).

For a control, I've been working on ideas using a partial stack (say the clubs in order from king to ace). Not sure it counts as a stack per se, but it's fun working out the different possibilities. It's also been very good practice at estimation and false cuts/shuffles. Particularly for estimation - I've been wanting to get the stack down to perhaps five or six cards, then you could almost do it impromptu. Or alternatively, learn to memorize the bottom five or six cards in a shuffled deck in order - but that's for some other time. It seems difficult enough, but utterly confusing when I actually try to practice it more than a couple of times in a row.

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Posted by: RDeNatale (Jun 16, 2016 10:12AM)

I'm learning Mnemonica.

I'm curious, I think I saw one or two replies saying they had memorized a sequential stack like BCS or Si Stebbins. Do people really do this?

To me, memorizing a stack means that you know the location of each card and can quickly retrieve the card for any location, or the location for any card,

Sequences let you given a card, determine the next, and with varying difficulty, the previous card. They trade off the need to memorize the stack or some mental calculation. Si Stebbins and Eight Kings are based on simple calculations, but the color and value patterns make them seem fishy. BCS addresses this at the cost of a more complex calculation to go forward in the sequence, and an even more complicated calculation to go backwards.

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Posted by: sgtgrey (Jun 16, 2016 12:46PM)

There are some who memorize those stacks. I know a few who have memorized Si Stebbins as a memorized deck. The benefit to this is that you retain all the properties of the rosary stack and the unique "built-in" effects that use the Si Stebbins pattern (e.g. Up the Ante immediately comes to mind), as well as the ability to very quickly shuffle into it from NDO. The cons of a Si Stebbins stack also remain, however. After experimenting with a few different stacks and for many individual reasons, I settled with Mnemonica, personally.

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Posted by: IMAGINACIAN (Jun 26, 2016 04:59AM)

A curious observation here. Some popular stacks have so far drawn a blank here.

Boris Wild stack and Charles Gauci stack for example. Or Karma Deck which claims to be the best selling stack. Or the more recent stacks like Requeim or Solution which made quite a splash here.

One of my favs 8K is nowhere as popular as it should have been (just my opinion)

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Posted by: A. Evans (Jun 26, 2016 01:40PM)

I tend to use either the:

Si Stebbins

or the

Nikola

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Posted by: everitt99 (Jun 27, 2016 12:36AM)

Mnemonica and Si Stebbins 3 CHSD for me. I also want to learn Aronson's stack, but don't know how it will conflict with Mnemonica.

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Posted by: Imirik (Jul 31, 2016 06:16PM)

I use only the Mnemonica

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Posted by: cfirwin3 (Aug 1, 2016 06:37AM)

My own version of Sam the Bellhop that turns the original 4 personalities into 3 so that I can end in a royal flush. I also use the jokers as quick gags.
Apart from that one stack and the need for partial retentions of culled cards, I don't use any other stacks.

I use 8 kings with the 10 picture suite exchange when I need a fast setup and quick recall. Or the Breakthrough card system when I want to totally hide the stack or working for magicians. Even if you know it there is almost no chance you can spot it.

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Posted by: Teddy Meagher (Jan 25, 2018 11:05AM)

I use the Dani DaOrtiz stack, I really like it and would recommend it

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Posted by: Sanks (Jan 28, 2018 07:13PM)

Farro 1 and mnemonica

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Posted by: Gorvo (Feb 3, 2018 09:55PM)

Mnemonica variation. The suits are different.

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Posted by: Terrible Wizard (Feb 5, 2018 05:51AM)

Can I just check, is the Dani Ortiz stack the same as the DAO stack or not?